


A Phoenix Can Rise

by apileofashandember



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Child Abuse, Established Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Gen, Lee is Zuko, M/M, Mainly Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Not Beta Read, Sibling Love, Sokka (Avatar) is a genius, Zuko (Avatar) is a genius, Zuko is Lee, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko loves Sokka, implied soulmates, light to mild swearing, not properly edited, rated m to be safe, sokka loves zuko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27764935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apileofashandember/pseuds/apileofashandember
Summary: The burn ached from time to time. He liked that. It reminded him of what he lost, of what he left, and what he gained. He was safe at the Southern Water Tribe. Because Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation is dead. All that remained was Lee, ward of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, friend of Katara and Sokka.Or,A retelling of ATLA where Zuko is taken by Iroh to be healed in the North, yet finds a home somewhere else.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), More to be added later - Relationship, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar) - Relationship
Comments: 11
Kudos: 119





	1. Episode 1, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the ATLA franchise. 
> 
> Note: This is only my second fanfiction ever, and my first multi-chapter fanfiction. I will try to post once a week or every other week. I am a busy person, but this something I’ve been wanting to write for a while now. If you don’t like it, don’t read! Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Please be nice!

Zuko woke up with a sinking feeling in his gut. He hoped that it was just something he ate, but this feeling came rarely, and good things never followed. Just like the day he — No. Not today. _Today was going to be good._

He exited the tent, immediately running into Gran Gran. She smiled warmly at him, which never ceased to shock him.

“Come now, Lee. It is time for lunch.” she said. At the mention of a meal, his stomach grumbled. He fought off the blush growing on his cheeks. He had laid down for a nap after he had helped with cleaning and watching over the children.

“Are Katara and Sokka back from hunting yet?” he asked. The sun was still bright in the sky, so it hadn’t been too long since they first left.  
“Not yet. Knowing those two, they got into another argument.” Zuko bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud, but it was true. If there was something his boyfriend was good at, it was getting into arguments with his sister by saying something stupid.

He and Gran Gran had reached the fire where some of the women had been cooking. The smell of sea prunes has slowly become a comfort, even if it was missing the rich spices he had grown with. There was small chatter going around before one of them looked up and saw the two approaching. 

“Oh, Lee! A letter from Mushi came.” The mention of his uncle lessened the pit gnawing at his stomach. It had been almost 2 months since the last one arrived, but messages were harder to send the more protected they were. The messenger hawk sat on the shoulder of another woman. He gently removed the paper from the bird and opened it:

_Dear Nephew,_

_My tea shop has grown much popularity, but I do miss being with you. Ba Sing Se has been treating me well, and I hope it continues to do so. Jin has been a tremendous help. If you were here, I think you two would grow very close, or is there a certain boy you have yet to tell me about. Whatever it may be, I hope you are doing well. Please write to me soon. I am here for you always.  
Drink your tea,  
Your loving uncle  
_  
He felt much better after reading. Zuko — _or Lee_ — and Sokka had only been together for over a month, but the bond felt deeper. The entire tribe had been very encouraging and accepting towards their relationship, to the point they had set up a betting pool. Gran Gran and Katara won. He made a mental note to tell Uncle about this development.  
Gran Gran offered him a bowl of stew and he took it. The weather wasn’t the coldest it could be, but no matter how long he was with the tribe, he couldn’t get used to it. When no one was looking, he took a steady breath and allowed his inner fire to warm him.

It didn’t make a difference. His blood ran cold once he saw a blinding light in the sky, coming from where Sokka and Katara were. He didn’t drop his bowl. Food was getting harder to find, so here merely tightened his grip on it. Gran Gran put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Her face said it all. _Be patient. Who knows what this could mean._ Zuko nodded his head and started to dig into his food.


	2. Episode 1, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the ATLA franchise. 
> 
> Note: Updates won’t usually be this quick, sorry. My plan is still one chapter a week, but depending on how much I can crank out it might be more. I just happened to have a bit more free time than normal today and felt ready to upload earlier than planned. I’m also trying to not break the episode into multiple parts, but my writing style is just working in this way right now. Is that annoying? As always, thank you for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Let me know how you all are liking this fanfiction so far. Please be nice!  
> \- Ember

_  
The only thing he could remember from the Agni Kai was pain._ Blinding hot pain. _After that it was a blur. He had passed out, and when he came to, the ground was moving and the air was salty. They were on a boat. His uncle was sitting in his chair nursing a cup of tea, and Lieutenant Jee was leaning on the doorframe. He looked up at them and noticed that something was wrong. Thick gauze was wrapped around half his face. Half of his vision was gone. In his left eye, there would only be shadows, no color._

_Panic curled tightly in his chest. He couldn’t breathe. Uncle noticed and rushed to him immediately. Jee was screaming for something, a medic. The world was fuzzy. His face was wet with tears, his newly scarred eye burning._

_Uncle was saying words he couldn’t hear. That’s when he noticed the hearing in his left ear was muffled too. The panic grew. Uncle rubbed his large hand over his back. He put his mouth closer to Zuko’s right ear._

_“You are fine. You are safe. You are fine. You are safe” he kept repeating. Zuko let out a single sob, curling into his Uncle’s touch, letting the smell of tea and smoke wash over him. Slowly he felt his eye shut and his body succumbed to darkness._

__

⋯ 

Sokka and Katara came back within the hour, and they weren’t alone. There was a boy with blue arrow tattoos on his body and an enormous… bison? The boy was talking animatedly to Katara who was shyly smiling. Sokka on the other hand looked very annoyed, his face brightening up just a bit when he saw Lee. Katara looked for her grandmother and ran towards her.

“Gran Gran! This is Aang. He’s an airbender!” she exclaimed. Zuko raised an eyebrow towards Sokka who nodded in confirmation. He grabbed Sokka’s arm and pulled him toward the tents.

“We told you to go hunting for fish and you brought back a living, breathing airbender?!” He asked in disbelief.

“It’s kind of a funny story, really. I maybe sorta made Katara mad, and then she started using her magic water which happened to break an iceberg that Aang came out of?” Sokka said, his voice going higher toward the end. Zuko let out a troubled groan.

“How many times have we told you that it’s waterbending, not magic water, and that you shouldn’t make your sister mad. Sisters are scary.” Zuko all but yelled. He looked over and saw the boy, Aang, do some kind of trick with marbles, while the bison laid with its eyes closed. Sokka put his head on his shoulder, snuggling into the warmth, and let out a low groan. Zuko lightly kissed the top of his head. The situation was becoming too much of a headache to deal with.

Aang came running towards them, smiling brightly. He didn’t blink at the interaction of the two boys, which made Zuko feel just a bit better about his presence. Aang’s bubbly nature reminded Zuko of someone he once knew, and no longer could.

“Katara and I are going penguin sledding. Do you guys wanna come?” Zuko blinked at the boy and shook his head. 

“No. Lee and I have watchtower duty.” Sokka said. Aang’s smile deflated slightly before growing again, somehow even brighter. The sight was infectious, and Zuko felt his heart pang.

“If you change your mind, you know where to find us.” He ran off toward the water bender.

“Should we be worried about those two?” Sokka asked.

“I mean, Katara has a brain, so I want to say no. Aang, I'm not sure about yet. They got very close, very fast.” Zuko replied.

“What do you think about him?”

“Aang? I have a few thoughts but i'm going to need some more information.”

“You got the feeling again, didn’t you?” Zuko sighed, having known that his boyfriend would notice, and nodded.

“I did. It’s less than what it was, but it’s still there. I need to figure out why. What does your brain say about all of this?”

“My brain says give him a chance. That’s the most I have seen my sister smile since mom. Although, Gran Gran seems wary.” Sokka said, moving his gloved hand to brush through Zuko’s bangs. He had most of his hair tied into a low ponytail, but kept the bangs he cut himself out to cover the gruesome burn that marred his face. Sokka didn’t mind, though, and placed a gentle kiss over the scar. Zuko hummed in thought. The matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe was a smart woman. She had to be with all the war she’d seen. 

Sokka and Zuko stood in each other’s arms before walking hand in hand to the watchtower, trying to make the most of the normalcy they had left.


	3. Episode 2, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the ATLA franchise. 
> 
> Note: Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I had a pretty clear idea on how this chapter was going to go, but I feel like the execution is just a bit spotty. I think this is my last chapter for the week. The next one will come out at some point next week, maybe later. I wanna write up the first drafts for a few chapters before I edit and post more. Just felt like posting this now since it was ready. As always, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think. Would love to know what you all think is going to happen in this fic. Also should I make all the books separate fics, or should make one giant one? Constructive criticism and comments are appreciated. Please be nice!  
> \- Ember

The flare going off should have been more surprising. In reality, Zuko just suppressed the urge to set something on fire. Preferably himself.

They had been sitting in the watchtower for some time now. Sokka had his arm wrapped Zuko as he cuddled into the familiar warmth of his boyfriend. They were eating the snacks that Zuko had smuggled for Sokka to enjoy after hunting. He had brought up the letter that his uncle had sent him. They went back and forth about what Zuko should say in his. For now, they wouldn’t mention Aang. At least until they got to know him better. 

The moment was nice. And then the chaos started.

The noise was loud, like thunder cracking on a clear day. The flare went high into the crisp blue sky, leaving a large stream of smoke in its wake. The boys barely took a second to realize what happened before they ran out the tower. A crowd had already started to form. Aang and Katara were running, coming from the direction of the smoke. Zuko could feel his head start to hurt as rage coursed through his body.

“What did you do?!” he demanded.

“Relax, Lee,” said Gran Gran, forever calm, “anger will not help this. If there are any Fire Nation ships nearby, they will be here soon.” Her tone changed into something more commanding. “The children and the pregnant will go inside the main tent. This includes Lee and Aang. Everyone else will stay with me. Let me handle the talking.” she continued quickly seeing her grandson start to protest “and no Sokka, the children are much too young to fight if it comes to that. And I want Lee to be in charge of protecting the others.”

He grabbed Aang’s arm and dragged him to the tent, walking behind the others. Zuko knew the real reason he was being sent indoors. They couldn’t know that he was here. His head would be wanted just as much as the Avatars…

It clicked. He took one more look at Aang. _Shit._ He took another glance at the boy. When they locked eyes, Zuko could tell that Aang knew what he just realized. He wanted to be angry, but couldn’t. His grey eyes showed fear and dread. He knew a thing or two about burdens that were placed on you without permission. He faced it every time he saw his reflection. So at this moment, Zuko swore to Agni he would keep the Avatar safe as best he could.

And then the soldiers arrived, with a voice all too familiar. _Azula_. He cursed under his breath. His pulse quickened, heart starting to pound in his ears. By instinct, he felt his hands grow too warm and smoke form in his lungs. He breathed out slowly so others wouldn’t notice. But Aang did. Of course he would. He was the Avatar.

Zuko hoped the look in his eyes was pleading enough. Aang gave a subtle nod. Zuko asked one of the children to grab his pack. Sheathed to it were a pair of dao. Inside the bag was a mask he had been given so long ago by someone who left him. His sister had so long ago taken the mask and broke it in half, taunting him about how stupid it was to keep a keepsake of their vanished mother, and proceeding to burn the right side of it.

It’s funny how fate worked. It was one of the things his uncle had packed for him after his banishment. They had gotten it fixed so that he could still wear the one half, which covered his burn. He put it on quickly, shielding his face from the others.

Sokka said it made him look lethal but cool. Paired with his swords, he practically oozed strength. He was relying on that. There was one important part to this plan, though. Azula would recognize the mask and put the pieces together. Zuko wanted that, needed that. 

Because his sister was anything but dumb. But she was arrogant.

He could hear the way she was talking to those outside. The way others shouted when she grabbed Gran Gran. It made his blood boil. She wanted the Avatar. But she wouldn’t get him, not on his wat— Aang had run out the tent. Zuko took a laboured sigh and sent a silent prayer to Agni, Tui, and La. He bent down to grab the dagger he kept in his boot, the one Sokka had gifted him for hunting. He handed it the first person in the group. 

“Just in case.” they nodded.

He ran to catch up to the Avatar, praying that he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Of course his luck wasn’t in the cards today. 

“I’m the Avatar! It’s me you want!” Aang cried out. He looked at the Water Tribe siblings. Their faces were coloured in disbelief. Then the boy did the stupid marble trick again.

“Very well. Come with us and no one will get hurt.” His sister said.

“And no one will get hurt.” Aang reiterated.

“A deal is a deal, Avatar.” Aang nodded his and held out his arms for the cuffs. Zuko saw Sokka’s expression become furious as he reared up his boomerang to throw. Zuko quickly moved to stop him. His boyfriend looked at him feeling betrayed.

“Lee, why—” Sokka asked.

“I’ll explain later.” He whispered.

Zuko’s action captured the attention of the Princess. He swore tears glistened in her eyes at the sight of him, but she said nothing. Her expression had one again become stony. She turned her attention back to the ship. 

“I’m sorry everyone.” were Aang’s departing words. Zuko could feel the pain in his words. He was sorry too.


	4. Episode 2, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the ATLA franchise.
> 
> Note: Here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy. This turned out much longer than I was expecting. As always thanks for reading. Constructive criticism and comments are appreciated. Let me know what you think of it so far. Please be nice!  
> \- Ember

The atmosphere was tense.

Zuko already knew what the waterbender was planning as she stomped off to the main tent. He let go of Sokka to follow her. Zuko wasn’t exactly sure on what to say, but he knew he had to try something.

He could hear Sokka’s footsteps following him. If he knew his boyfriend, there was a lecture in the making, exactly what Katara didn’t need right now.

The others left the tent and tried to resume their activities the best they could. One of them gave him back his dagger.

Katara was sat on the floor, silently fuming. He turned his head toward Sokka, giving him a look that said _Don’t make this worse for her._ He received an eye roll in return.

“Why didn’t he tell us he was the Avatar?” She asked.

“Because it wouldn’t have been safe. Don’t forget that the Fire Nation has had a bounty out for the Avatar since Avatar Roku died. They’re not going to kill him. They’re going to break him.” Zuko answered, probably a bit too blunt. He knew it was harsh, but it was true. The Fire Nation was going to be ruthless.

“We’re going to help him, right?” Her voice was almost childlike the way she was pleading. At this Sokka sighed. He tried to come up with a plan, but it didn’t look good. A rookie waterbender, and two nonbenders on a ship full of firebenders? That spelled disaster. But his sister had a point. Aang just wanted to go to a home that didn’t exist anymore. Avatar or not, he was still just a kid. Sokka turned his head toward Zuko, raising an eyebrow in question.

Zuko took the mask off and ran his hands over his face, for once not flinching at the way it felt. A selfish part of him wanted to curl up into a ball and ignore all of this. But that wasn’t fair. He only knew Aang properly for about five minutes, but a bond had still formed. He had a connection to the young Avatar, and he wanted to know why. Not to mention he swore to protect him if he could. Doing nothing wasn’t going to accomplish that.

“Of course we’re going to help him. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise. But we can’t just rush into this unprepared. Sokka, give me your boomerang so I can sharpen it with my swords. Katara, go fill up your pouch with water.” Zuko said. Sokka grumbled about giving up his weapon, but did it anyway. Katara stood up, her expression fierce, and went to go do as told.

“You gonna tell me why you stopped me from throwing my boomerang out there?” Sokka asked.

“Later. Aang and Katara are going to need to know this as well.” Sokka nodded and left to go join his sister. Zuko let out a loud sigh and went to go look for paper. He took a dip pen and started writing:

_Dear Uncle,_

_Aside from today, life has continued to be good to me at the Southern Water Tribe. Gran Gran is an incredible woman, for she has figured out the secret I carry, and has still given me a home here._

_Sokka and I have officially started to be in a relationship, but Jin sounds like she would be a wonderful friend. I am almost ashamed to say the whole tribe had started to bet on when it would happen._

_But today something has happened. A phoenix can rise from its ashes._

_Drinking my tea,  
Your Dear Nephew  
_  
He rolled up the parchment, tied it with string, and put it aside. Zuko gathered all the weapons and grabbed a knife to sharpen them. He tried to lose himself in the action, already feeling muscles in his neck become much too tense.

He didn’t know how his sister was going to fight, but it was anything like the way she used to, it would be hard and dirty. His own bending was weak. He hadn’t properly practiced since he left the Fire Nation, and the weather of the Southern Water Tribe made it harder. The most he could do was warm himself. Any real bending was hard to accomplish, always coming out in clouds of smoke. But he would try should the need arise. He had to save Aang.

Katara walked back into the tent. “Sokka and I are ready to leave when you are.”

“Who said I was coming with?” Zuko asked jokingly. Katara’s face turned furious before she realized and rolled her eyes. She grabbed his mask from where he threw it earlier and handed it to him. Zuko put it on, fixing his bangs so it sat right. He grabbed his bag and put it on, sheathing his swords in place. Then he took Sokka’s weapon of choice in hand to give it to him. Finally he made sure that the knife in his boot was secure before leaving the tent,

Gran Gran talking to Sokka. By the looks of, she knew what they were planning, even as Sokka was trying to convince her otherwise. The village elder’s face was troubled, and Zuko started to feel bad. She gave the kids a strained smile.

“I knew from the second young Aang gave himself up that you would want to save him. That’s just how you three are. Never wanting to see someone hurt if you can help it.” The three teenagers in question blushed at the accusation. Gran Gran continued, “If you want to go, that is fine by me. As long as you come back. I will have a medic and food ready for when you come back.” They nodded and she dismissed herself. It helped having her on their side.

“Do we have a ship ready?” Zuko asked. He was hoping Sokka would have gotten something prepared.

“Oh we’re not going on ship.” His boyfriend replied. The Water Tribe siblings wore excited expressions.

“What are we going on?” As if on cue, the previously sleeping bison let out a loud deep groan. Sokka helped Zuko onto the giant fluffy creature, Katara following suit.

“What now.”

Sokka opened his mouth wide, taking a deep breath, and said two words:

“Yip Yip.”

The bison could fly. Of course it could.

Zuko gripped tightly onto the saddle as they ascended, glaring only a little at Sokka. The siblings were having fun being in the air. Zuko wanted to vomit.

“Take us to Aang, Appa” Sokka commanded the bison.

“Can it even understand us?” Zuko asked incredulously.

“Of course _he_ can, sweetie.” Zuko blushed slightly at the correction and pet name, grumbling under his breath. Sure enough they were flying towards the direction of a massive Fire Nation Navy Ship. Zuko felt his heart pang. It was the same one he had woken up on all those years ago.

“There.” Zuko said. Katara moved to sit closer to the edge. “Hey, umm, Appa? Can you bring us closer down?” He felt ridiculous talking to an animal, but it wasn’t the first time.

There were many unconscious soldiers on the deck. “I don’t see Aang.” Katara said.

“They probably took him below deck to a cell.” Zuko replied passively.

“How do you know this?” Zuko chose to ignore that. He carefully moved into a crouch, ready to jump off onto the ship. Katara and Sokka followed suit.

They landed with a light _thud_. At the same time the door to the deck below burst open. Aang barreled out of it on an air scooter, Azula hot on his tail. She was releasing large blasts of blue fire, yet somehow repeatedly missing the airbender.

Zuko quickly drew his dao, Sokka his boomerang, and Katara her water. Azula hesitated for a split second before sending a wave of fire their way, one that Aang surged to cut through. The firebender moved to strike again but was struck by a boomerang. Zuko winced. She was lucky it was only the blunt side and that it hit her on the shoulder. Her face contorted in pain. Zuko couldn’t tell if it was physical or emotional.

Zuko took the opportunity to grab Aang by the arm and lead him to Appa. The siblings followed and they reached the bison, flying back to the tribe, and narrowly avoiding a large blast of hot blue flame.

Down below, Zuko saw Azula’s face grow red in anger and betrayal. He pretended to hold no regret and watched the clouds move by as they flew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, at this point I've written too much to tell if I have any plot holes. I hope I don't. Oh well.


	5. Episode 3, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the ATLA franchise. 
> 
> Note: This chapter took longer to write than anticipated. The episode was also going to be just one chapter this time, but as you can see it is not. I struggled pretty greatly with this one. Also, I know that this scene is technically a part of Episode 2, but I forgot until I rewatched the show so I’m squeezing it in here. Oopsies. As a reminder, these chapters are not beta read. Anyways… as always thank you for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are very appreciated. Please be nice!  
> -Ember
> 
> P.S.  
> I can’t believe this has over a thousand hits! That’s insane. Thank you all so, so much!

When they arrived back to the tribe, Gran Gran was once again waiting for them. Her expression shifted to relief as she saw the group land onto the hard ice. She walked closer to them and drew Aang into a tight hug. Zuko could see a hint of shock on the boy’s face as he gratefully returned the embrace. He stifled a laugh at the look of disbelief on his boyfriend’s face. 

“Um, hi, your grandkids are here too.” He said in a deadpan. The only response he got was a punch on the arm from his sister and a stern look from his grandmother.

Aang pulled away from the elder, his face serious in a way they hadn’t seen from the boy yet. “I need to return home to the Southern Air Temple.” 

Zuko was confused. He had heard about the state of the Southern Air Temple when his uncle visited during his travels. Why would the Avatar want to go somewhere where nothing remained? And then it hit. The poor kid knew nothing of what happened to his people. He looked at the others and saw they all came to the same conclusion. He winced internally. Did they have the place to tell Aang, or should he have the ability to learn on his own? One glimpse into Gran Gran’s eyes told him the latter.

It would be up to the airbender to learn the fate of his people. It would hurt, but they had no right to tell him. He had spent a hundred years trapped within ice, and this is how he would discover the reality of what has happened in the time he had been gone. To see it was to believe. Aang continued talking.

“After that, I’m going to go to the Northern Water Tribe to find myself a master.” Zuko did not have to see Katara’s eyes to know they were shining in excitement at the prospect. He hoped that she wouldn’t get too heartbroken if she was forbidden from going along. 

“Good luck up there.” Gran Gran said. “If they are still set in their ways as they’ve been in the past then I can only imagine the trials you will go through.” Zuko could see the waterbender squirm where she was standing. He prayed she wouldn’t do anything too brash. “Why don’t you go relax in the main tent before your trip? It’ll be a rather long journey for you. Get some rest.”

Aang smiled brightly at the elder and did as she said. As he left, Katara turned to face her grandmother. The matriarch simply raised her hand before speaking.

“I know what you are going to ask my dear, and it is not up to me to decide. You must ask the Avatar himself if you are allowed to accompany him on his journey. Your will is strong, child. My words alone would not be able to stop you.”

Zuko could see the start of tears shining in Katara’s eyes. This was far different than what any of them were expecting to hear. The waterbender nodded excitedly and ran off to the airbender.

As she left their view, Kanna now turned to face Zuko and Sokka. The look in her eyes clearly stated she was in no mood for arguments.

“I assume that since Katara will be joining the Avatar on his voyage, the two of you now want to join in as well. I’m not sure about you Lee, but Sokka, I hope you love your sister enough to make sure she doesn’t go on such a trip alone?” his boyfriend gulped audibly and nodded, fear coloring his features. “And Lee, being the caring and responsible boy you are, you would hate to be away from your lover for so long.” Zuko nodded his head as well.

“The boy will learn devastating news once he arrives at the air temple. He has no one right now, but if he allows, he will have us. We have all experienced loss. We cannot let him stay alone. He needs friends and family. I hope he will find that in the three of you.” She took a pause. “Sokka go join your sister and the Avatar. I must have word with Lee in private.” Her grandson reluctantly left to join Katara.

Zuko and Kanna were now alone. She pulled him in close.

“As someone who cares greatly for you Prince Zuko, I must ask you to be careful. You have faced many trials because of the man you once called a father, and you will continue to do so until this war is over. Fate will test you over and over again. I need to trust that you will do whatever it takes for the Avatar to succeed.” He swallowed thickly, overwhelmed by the words spoken to him.

He understood where she was coming from. The fire nation had been his home, the Fire Lord his father. Would he be able to defy everything he had ever known? The answer was obvious.

“I will do whatever it takes to help the Avatar win this war.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> In mostly unrelated news, I have a Merlin X Shadowhunters crossover fic in the works and a idea for a Percy Jackson x Shadowhunters crossover series that I am mulling over. Would anyone be interested in reading those?


End file.
